A Question of Choice
by isolde13
Summary: This is now two chapters: featuring mpreg, bastard Lucius, heroic Draco and victim Harry. And then victim Draco and heroic Harry. What more could you ask for?
1. Default Chapter

  


Author's notes: This is my first foray into HP fiction. And as such, let me give you all a few warnings. 1. I have never read the books so I do not know what is canon and what is fanon. 2. There is no backstory here. 3. This is an mpreg. 4. Characters may be OOC. 5. The ending...God, I couldn't figure out how to end it! I hate when that happens. 

  


Well, that's it for the warnings: on to the fic!

  
  


A Question of Choice

  


Draco knew there was something very wrong when he saw the fear in Harry's eyes. Because, truth be told, he'd hardly ever seen that emotion in the boy's eyes. He'd seen things like bravery and determination and spirit. Those he'd seen plenty of times. But this...this fear... It made him very uneasy. 

  


And he hated feeling uneasy. 

  


His eyes shifted from his nemesis' face down the length of his body to the iron shackle placed around his ankle that kept him tethered to the floor. It was funny in an odd sort of way - his father could have had the Boy Who Lived trussed up with so many chains and ropes that nary an inch of his skin would have been visible, but he had opted for one single shackle instead. He wondered when his father had begun to appreciate the art of understatement. 

  


It was at this point in his musings that he realized his father was speaking again. Draco lifted his eyes and forced himself to focus on the scene playing out before him. 

  


"...is here. What is it?" 

  


"There's no magic here. You took my wand, remember?" Harry asked, his tone ever-defiant and yet colored with a touch of desperation. Draco wondered if his father had picked up on it also.

  


"No, I can feel it. You're surrounded by it," Lucius said. "You practically reek of it."

  


Harry shook his head in negation, but Lucius was already raising his wand, preparing to end whatever spell he had sensed around the boy. 

  


"Finite Incantatum," Lucius said as he pointed the wand at the boy. 

  


The change to Harry was instantaneous. One second he was standing there, looking very normal and Harry-like, and the next second he was standing there with his arms crossed protectively over a very large stomach. 

  


Draco looked on with scorn. Harry Potter had gotten fat? This is what he had been trying to hide with a concealment spell? But the scorn quickly melted away when he realized that not everything about the boy was bigger, that it was mostly just his stomach...

  


"You. Are. Pregnant?" his father asked in amazement. 

  


Harry responded by looking down at the ground and pointedly _not_ responding to the question. 

  


Lucius laughed heartily, as if he were hearing the world's best joke. "The great Harry Potter, pregnant with a bastard child. This is almost too good." 

  


At hearing the word "bastard", Harry's head shot up and Draco could clearly see the wild fury in his eyes. 

  


"How did this happen?" Lucius asked as his hand touched Harry's stomach. 

  


Harry pushed it away in disgust. "Does it matter?" he asked. 

  


"No I suppose not," Lucius said mildly. "What matters is that you are with child and that this may very possibly change things. I must consult with Lord Voldemort before I proceed any further." 

  


Harry said nothing, choosing instead to give Lucius a look of utter disdain and contempt. Draco was impressed with it despite himself.

  


Lucius smirked. "I wouldn't look so high and mighty if I were you, Potter. You are not a hero. You are nothing but a worthless little tramp who managed to get himself knocked up." 

  


The words were designed to hurt, but Draco couldn't tell from Harry's expression whether they did or not. 

  


Then Lucius backhanded Harry, for no other reason than to watch him fall to the floor, and said, "I will return shortly." He raised his head and looked at his son. "Draco, stay here with him." 

  


Draco accepted the order without question. "Yes, father."

  


He watched as his father left the room and then he turned his attention to the boy on the floor. Said boy was now holding a hand to his cheek, gently rubbing the spot where his father had hit him. The other hand was placed protectively on his stomach. 

  


His stomach...

  


The stomach that now held within it a human life. Draco blinked, trying to take in that fact. This was all so surreal. He watched in fascination as Harry pushed himself up to a sitting position, and, placing his elbows on his knees, dropped his head into his hands. 

  


Draco took a couple of tentative steps forward, his curiosity getting the better of him. "You're really pregnant, Potter?" he asked before he could censor himself. 

  


Harry lifted his head from his hands and looked around for a moment before he focused on Draco. It was almost as if he had forgotten that the other boy was still there. 

  


He sighed wearily. "Yes, I am Malfoy." 

  


"How...how did this happen?" he asked, echoing his father's earlier question.

  


Draco wasn't really expecting an answer, so he was surprised when he heard Harry's soft voice answer, "Potion gone wrong."

  


Draco could think of nothing to say to that. Which was surprising, because he always had a sarcastic answer for everything. It was one of the things that he prided himself on. But this entire situation was just so strange... 

  


He stood there in uncertain silence, not really sure what he should do next, when Harry suddenly gasped and clutched his stomach. Draco took another step forward. "Is something wrong?" 

  


Harry shook his head and absently rubbed a spot on his belly. "No, she's just active. She likes to kick. I just can't seem to get used to it." 

  


"It's a girl?" Draco asked, as he closed the distance between them and dropped down to his knees in front of the other boy. 

  


Harry stopped rubbing and looked at Draco. His eyes held a sadness so deep that Draco was tempted to turn away from it. "Yes, it's a girl, " he answered softly. 

  


"How...far along are you?" Draco asked uncertainly, torn between wanting to know more and wanting to walk away.

  


"Almost eight months now," Harry responded in that quiet, simple way of his.

  


Draco couldn't stop the shock from showing on his face. How in the world had Potter managed to hide being pregnant for eight months? Why had no one noticed? Then another thought hit him. The baby that was inside Potter's body...she was almost full-term. Almost ready to join the world as a brand new life. 

  


The next words that came out of Draco's mouth surprised even him. "Can I touch her...your stomach, I mean?" 

  


Harry froze and a look of complete confusion washed over his face. He cocked his head to the side and stared at Draco, as if trying to comprehend some unfathomable equation. Draco very quickly grew uncomfortable under the scrutiny and prepared to stand. "Forget I asked," he said, his voice going cold. 

  


Before Draco could actually move, Harry reached out and grabbed his wrist, holding him immobile. "No, I'm sorry. You just...caught me off guard," he said softly. 

  


Draco was about to pull away from Harry's grip, he still had his pride after all, when Harry pulled on his wrist and placed his hand flat on his stomach. Draco instinctively spread his fingers out against Harry's surprisingly taut belly. He had to suppress a gasp when Harry's warm hand suddenly covered his own. Then he held his breath and waited to feel the sensation of moving flesh. But there was nothing. Nothing at all. 

  


Harry frowned and moved both of their hands slowly across his stomach, the look on his face one of utter and intense concentration. 

  


"She was there a minute ago," Draco heard the other boy mutter under his breath. Then suddenly, Harry stopped moving their hands. Draco inhaled sharply when he felt the skin under his own move. Harry's skin was _undulating_ under his fingertips. A life was truly in there. Truly, wondrously in there. His eyes met Harry's and they simply stared at each other, neither willing to ruin this moment with words, both content simply to let it be.

  


A lively kick from the baby caused Draco's hand to jump and he smiled.

  


_This is real magic._

  


And as Draco continued to look into Harry's eyes, he realized that they were shining with tears that he would not allow himself to shed. And for the second time in one day, Draco felt uneasy. 

  


Just then the door to the room slammed open, startling both boys and causing them to pull away from each other. Draco watched as his father strode into the room, ever confident, ever masterful.

  


Harry quickly brushed the back of his hand against his eyes and struggled to stand up while Lucius looked on dispassionately. 

  


"Lord Voldemort has given me permission to kill both you and the bastard child."

  


Harry looked at him, his eyes going wide with terror. There was no trace of determination, courage or spirit in his face now. "No, you can't!" 

  


"Can't I?" Lucius asked smoothly. "I really do not think you are in any position to tell me what I can and cannot do, Mr. Potter." 

  


"Please, Mr. Malfoy..." Harry began to say, but was quickly cut off by Lucius' hand slamming into his cheek once again. 

  


He fell to the floor, hard, his ankle twisting under the pressure of the unforgiving restraint.

  


He turned his face upward, unmindful of the blood that was leaking out of the corner of his mouth or the pain in his ankle. When he spoke, his words came out in a frenzied rush, as if he were running out of air. "You don't have to hurt her. You could take her out, she would survive it. And then you could do whatever you wanted to with me. Please, Mr. Malfoy." 

  


Lucius bent down and grabbed a handful of Harry's dark hair. He used it to pull the boy closer to him. "Are you begging me, Mr. Potter? Is the savior of the wizarding world actually begging me?" 

  


Harry nodded as best as he could with the blond man's hand entwined in his hair. "Yes, I'm begging you. Please...I'll do anything. Anything you want..." 

  


Lucius stared at him for a long moment. "Hmmm...tempting. But I think I'd rather kill you." 

  


He let go of Harry's hair so abruptly that the boy fell back onto the floor. Then he delivered a kick to his mid-section that startled Draco with its viciousness.

  


Harry screamed and turned in on himself, instinctively protecting both himself and the baby. "Please..." he gasped.

  


"I've decided that I will kill you the Muggle way. I believe it will be much more painful for you and much more satisfying for me." 

  


Draco looked on in shock as his father pulled out his long staff and hit Harry squarely on his back. And then again on his shoulder. He had been on the receiving end of that staff countless times before, but he had never seen his father use it on someone else. 

He felt that he should be thrilled by this. After all, he was watching the boy who he hated getting beaten into a bloody pulp - what more could someone ask for? And yet he wasn't enjoying it, not at all. In fact it was making him sick to his stomach. And then there was the child. The innocent child that lived inside of Potter's body, that would be violently murdered before even having a chance to really live. 

  


He made up his mind quickly - he had to try and stop this. He acted before he could second-guess himself. "Father wait!" he shouted. 

  


His father paused only long enough to give him one of his patented angry sneers, then continued with the beating. 

  


Draco thought about retreating then. He had made his stand, hadn't he? What was really expected of him here? After all, this was his sworn enemy that his father was hurting. It's not like he cared about Potter. 

  


But the child...the child was innocent...

  


He swallowed hard and gathered his courage again. "Father, you can't do this."

  


His father froze and slowly turned to look at him, disbelief clearly written on his face. "And why can't I Draco?" 

  


"Because Father, you can't kill the child," Draco said. 

  


"The child is not even alive!" 

  


"She is! Inside of him, she is alive." 

  


"Draco, if you wish to live to see your 15th birthday, I suggest you shut your mouth now. Do you understand me?" 

  


Draco managed a very small "yes father" before backing away from the scene in front of him. His father had resumed hitting Potter who was curled up into a small ball and alternately groaning and screaming. There was blood now...some of it shining very brightly against Harry's skin. Most of the blood was on Harry's trousers however, and there it was scarlet and dark. Draco's eyes opened impossibly wide as he struggled with choices, struggled with concepts of right and wrong that he had never really thought about before. And then he did the only thing he could think of to do...he ran. 

  


Harry was in so much pain that he barely registered that Draco had run out of the room. He knew that he was bleeding...down there...and that thought filled him with a suffocating despair. Because he knew what the blood indicated. He knew it meant that the baby was dying. 

  


The same baby that he didn't want at first. The one that he felt such ambivalence towards for so many months. Until that first day that she moved. The same day that he was told that she was indeed a girl. That was when he had started to care for her. And now - now he loved her more than anything. 

  


And now she was dying inside of him. 

  


But then again so was he. 

  


She would die and he would die and perhaps they would be able to find each other in heaven.

  


And that was Harry's last thought before the pain overwhelmed him and his world went black. 

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Harry came to consciousness again very slowly, as if he were swimming up through immeasurably deep murky depths. The first thing he became aware of, after finally breaking through the surface of the murk, was that he was in no pain. The second thing he became aware of was that it was very bright beyond his closed eyelids. 

  


He opened his eyes slowly, testing. Yes, he had been correct. It was very bright here. 

  


'So,' he mused. 'This is heaven.' Then, 'I always thought it would be a little more spectacular.'

  


Just then he sensed a presence close by and he realized that he was not alone. 

  


He turned his head and was surprised to see Dumbledore sitting beside him. 

  


"Are you dead as well?" he asked, his voice no more than a whisper. 

  


Dumbledore smiled and, reaching out, laid his hand upon Harry's. "No, I am not dead. And neither are you, my boy." 

  


"I'm not dead?" Harry asked, trying very hard to comprehend this. "But I thought..."

  


"You survived Lucius' attack, Harry." 

  


Now Harry finally understood. He was alive, in the infirmary at Hogwarts. His free hand instantly moved to his stomach. It was still round...maybe there was a chance...

  


"Is the baby..." he couldn't bring himself to finish the question. 

  


"She is fine. We were able to save her. She is a fighter, much like her father." 

  


Harry closed his eyes in relief. 

  


When he opened them, he saw that Dumbledore was holding his glasses out for him. He took them from him and put them on, feeling more like himself almost instantly. 

  


"How long was I out?" he asked. 

  


"Two days. We were all very worried. Hermione and Ron have hardly left your side," Dumbledore answered. 

  


Harry looked around the empty infirmary. "Where are they?"

  


"They will be in shortly. But there is someone here that I believe you should see first," Dumbledore said. 

  


Harry nodded, curious. "All right." 

  


Dumbledore stood from the chair and looked to the side. A moment later Harry saw someone walking towards them. 

  


He recognized the figure instantly. That platinum blond hair could belong to no one else. His eyes narrowed in anger. "Malfoy?" 

  


Draco gave a brief nod. "Potter." 

  


Harry turned towards the headmaster in disbelief. "What is he doing here?" 

  


Dumbledore answered in that slow, patient way of his. "Harry, Draco here is the one who saved your life." 

  


"What?" Harry could not have been shocked if Dumbledore had told him that he was Snape's favorite student. 

  


"Perhaps it would be better if Draco himself explained what happened," Dumbledore suggested as he indicated the empty chair with a slight tilt of his head. Draco walked towards it and sat down. Dumbledore then walked out of the room without another word, leaving the two boys to stare at each other. 

  


The seconds ticked by slowly with neither boy speaking. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Harry got fed up with the silence and said, "Well?" 

  


"Well, what?" Draco asked. 

  


"_You_ saved my life?"

  


"It would appear so, yes."

  


"But I saw you run out of the room." His brow wrinkled in confusion. "Or at least I think I did." 

  


"Yes, I did. To get my wand. Then I ran back in and used Petrificus Totalis on my own father." 

  


Harry's eyes practically bugged out of his head. "You did what?" he managed to choke out.

  


Draco shrugged. 

  


"Draco, I...I don't know what to say." He paused. "I mean, you saved my life...I...thank you, I..." 

  


Draco rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Oh, don't go getting all sentimental on me Potter. I didn't do it for you." He stopped and sighed. "I did it for your child." 

  


"But why? Why would you care about her at all?" 

  


"You know, I've been asking myself that same question for two days now, and I can never come up with a good answer." 

  


"Come on, Malfoy." 

  


Draco sighed, then he looked down at his hands. "Your child...didn't deserve that. It wasn't right what my father was doing. Sometimes...I've always known that my father is not a good man, but I've never seen him be so cruel. It just wasn't right." He stopped speaking and looked up, his eyes flashing challenge. "Is that all right? Is that a good enough reason for you?"

  


"Yeah, it is," Harry said somberly. He hesitated for a moment then asked, "What happened to you father?"

  


Draco leaned back in his chair. "They tried to arrest him. He escaped of course. Don't know where he is now. Probably figuring out a way for me to die a horrible death."

  


"I'm sorry," Harry said, feeling somehow responsible for the fact that Draco's father probably hated him now. 

  


Draco shrugged. "Don't be. I made my choice. I don't regret what I did."

  


Harry arched an eyebrow. "No? Not at all?" 

  


Draco sniffed haughtily. "No, not at all." Then he lowered his gaze and said almost shyly, "I don't, really, although sometimes I wonder if I've lost my bloody mind." 

  


Harry smiled and nodded, thinking how strange it felt to be smiling around Malfoy. "So what happens now?" he asked. 

  


"Asylum, here, til I graduate. After that I don't know." 

  


"I meant between us. What happens between us. We can't continue to be enemies. After all, you saved both my life and Lily's." 

  


"Lily's?" Draco questioned. 

  


"That's her name," Harry answered, his hand unconsciously moving to rest on his stomach. 

  


Draco smirked. "Of course." 

  


Harry smoothly ignored the smirk. "We could try to be friends," he suggested. 

  


At this, Draco rolled his eyes and stood up. "There you go again Potter, getting all sentimental on me. How about if we just agree not to hate each other and we'll take the rest as it comes?" 

  


"I think I can handle that," Harry answered with a small smile. 

  


"Well, I'd better get going. Granger and Weasley are probably chomping at the bit to get in here."

  


Harry looked up at Draco and tried to picture this boy actually saving his life. He shook his head slightly. It was definitely a concept that would take some getting used to. He made a mental note to ask Dumbledore for more details the next time he saw him.

  


Suddenly, Harry noticed that Draco looked very uncomfortable, as if he didn't know what he should do or say next. He fidgeted for a minute, looked around aimlessly then finally he placed his hand atop Harry's; on the hand that was resting on his stomach. He squeezed it lightly and said, "Take care Potter. Try to avoid any more life-threatening situations. I may not be around to rescue you next time." 

  


And with that, he left. Harry watched him go, feeling both amused and incredibly confused at the same time, like sense and sanity had completely fled from his world. 

  


Then Lily kicked and Ron and Hermione entered the infirmary and sense and sanity thankfully returned.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Author's notes: This story was not supposed to have a part two, but as so often happens, people ask me for a sequel and then I start thinking about and then BAM! Part 2 is born. So here it is. Oh and FYI...since writing the first one, I have managed to read all five Harry Potters. I am now officially hooked, damn it. Still think the characters are a little OOC, but that never hurt anybody. 

  
  


A Question of Choice (Part 2)

  
  
  


The days after Draco Malfoy saved Harry Potter's life were days filled with great change. Dumbledore, fearing that Draco would be in danger if he continued in Slytherin, had the boy resorted. The sorting hat, to no one's great surprise, placed the boy in Gryffindor. Draco was not altogether pleased about this, but pragmatic as he was, he realized it was probably the best thing for him. He was both surprised and relieved to find that he was accepted into his new house rather quickly. Perhaps it had something to do with his new hero status, perhaps it had something to do with the innate kindness of the Gryffindors. Whatever it was, Draco was grateful for it. He knew the Slytherins would never accept someone different so easily. 

Another change, one that affected the entire the school, was that now everyone knew of Harry's pregnancy. Now that Voldemort knew about it, there seemed no reason to keep it a secret any longer. The students were told about it, en masse, one night during dinner. At first there was confusion and disbelief. Then once everyone was able to absorb the news, the mood changed drastically. To say the students were happy about this turn of events was an understatement. There was a feeling of anticipation and general happiness in the air that would be unequaled for many years to come.

It was several days after the announcement, now two weeks away from Harry's due date, that Draco found himself having another one of his nightmares. He awoke from it abruptly, his heart beating frantically, as he literally gasped for precious air. He looked around the dorm room, momentarily disoriented, until he recognized his surroundings. It was then that his breathing and his heartbeat started to slow. He brought a shaking hand up to his mouth and wondered if he'd screamed. He peered into the darkness at all his sleeping roommates. Apparently he hadn't screamed out loud, only in his dream. He took his hand away from his mouth and ran it through his hair. He knew sleep would elude him now, as it always did after one of these nightmares. He grabbed his robe and, wrapping it around himself, made his way silently to the Gryffindor common room. He sat down on one of the couches and sighed. It was going to be a long night. 

  


A moment later he heard footsteps approaching him from behind. He turned around to see who else could possibly be awake at this hour and was surprised to see that it was Harry Potter that was walking towards him. Well walking wasn't really the right word...waddling towards him was more accurate. 

  


"Potter," he said tiredly by way of greeting. 

  


Despite the fact that most of their animosity had evaporated, neither boy had fallen out of the habit of calling the other by their last name. 

  


"Hey, Malfoy," Harry said quietly. 

  


"What are you doing down here at this hour? Shouldn't you be getting all the sleep you can?" Draco asked. He watched in amusement as Harry struggled to sit down next to him on the couch. When Harry was finally situated, he said, somewhat sheepishly, "Actually I was following you." 

  


Draco raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" 

  


"Yeah, I...I heard you. I've heard you before. With the nightmares, I mean." 

  


Draco straightened. "Did I say something? Did I make a sound or something?" 

  


Harry shook his head. "No, but it was pretty obvious you weren't having pleasant dreams." Then remembering the blond boy's pride he suddenly understood what Draco was really asking. "No one else heard you. No one else knows. I only did because I've been having a hard time sleeping lately." 

  


Draco relaxed, the relief evident on his face. "Oh. Good." 

  


"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asked.

  


Draco was about to say something along the lines of "no, thank you" when he stopped to reconsider. Truth was, he did want to talk about it. The nightmares were taking their toll; he was tired and on edge and there really wasn't anyone he felt he could confide in about it all. Not that Harry was his best friend or anything, but telling Harry would be all right. The other boy would never hold it against him. And he would never tell anyone else. 

  


Decision made, he found himself abruptly saying, "They're about my father." 

  


"The nightmares?" 

  


Draco nodded. "Yeah." 

  


"Malfoy, you're safe here. He's not going to get to you. And he'll be caught soon. He's not invincible," Harry said as he tried to reassure him. 

  


Draco chuckled. Harry thought that he was worried about his father getting revenge on him. "No Potter, that's not it. I'm not having dreams about my father and the future. I'm having dreams about what's happened in the past." 

  


Harry sat up slightly. He had not been expecting this. "What do you mean?" 

  


Draco sighed heavily. "You remember that staff that my father beat you with?" he asked. 

  


Harry winced and clutched his stomach. "How could I forget, Malfoy? He almost killed me." 

  


"Would it surprise you to know that I've been beaten...oh...about a thousand times with that same staff?" 

  


Harry breathed in sharply. Surprise was not the word for what he felt at hearing those words. He had never in a million years imagined that Draco had been anything other than a spoiled and pampered child. "What?" he asked. 

  


"Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but that's what he would use on me when he wasn't happy with me. When he was angry or disappointed." He paused and frowned. "I disappointed him a lot."

  


Harry shook his head, still trying to get used to the idea of Draco Malfoy having had a less than perfect childhood. "I had no idea."

  


Draco looked at him sharply. "Of course you didn't. No one did." He fell silent and stared at his hands for a moment. "I tried so hard Potter. So hard to be the person he wanted me to be. But it was never good enough._ I_ was never good enough. I wasn't fast enough, clever enough, evil enough..." He smirked slightly as he said the word evil, but the smirk quickly faded. "He always said that the beatings were for my own good. But how can beating a child be good?" he asked as he turned to look at Harry again. 

  


Harry was stunned by the amount of anguish he saw in the other boy's face. It was like looking at a completely different person. He took a deep breath and said, "Listen Malfoy, in a few more years you'll be your own man. And you won't have to please anyone or answer to anyone but yourself." 

  


"I know. I know that," Draco said before falling silent. He was quiet for so long that Harry didn't think he had anything else to say. He was just about to excuse himself and go back upstairs when Draco started speaking again. "You want to hear something really fucked up, though?" he asked, with a tight smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. 

  


Harry nodded quickly. 

  


"I still love him. He's my father. If he came up to me tomorrow and told me all was forgiven and I could go back...I don't know what I'd do." 

  


Harry could think of nothing to say to that. Could think of no words that might make things better, so he settled for placing his hand on Draco's shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze. Draco seemed to understand the meaning of the gesture. He smiled wanly. "Thanks for listening to me ramble on, Potter." 

  


"Anytime, Malfoy."

  


"And if you tell anyone about this, I'll hurt you. I don't care if you're pregnant." 

  


Harry could only smile at what he knew to be an empty threat. "I won't. I swear." 

  


"Yeah well...shouldn't you be getting on to bed now?" Draco asked as he fidgeted in his seat. 

  


Harry understood. Draco had just confided something very personal to the person that used to be his worst enemy. He would be uneasy about it. He would probably be a little embarrassed. Guessing that Draco wanted to be alone, Harry pushed himself up from the couch, which was not an easy task, and bade the other boy a good night before taking his leave. 

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


Several days later found Draco sitting in the Gryffindor common room taking in the sights that were becoming increasingly familiar to him. Over in the corner was Colin Creevey, fiddling with his ever-present camera. In the middle of the room sat Hermione, an open book in front of her, an intense look in her eyes. Next to her sat Ron and Harry, talking animatedly about something or other; probably Quidditch. Harry was practically glowing, his hands resting on his belly, occasionally rubbing it gently. 

_Who would have ever thought_, he mused. Who would have ever thought that this would be his life?

  


He sighed and settled back in the armchair that he was occupying. Who would have ever thought that he would be so at peace?

  


Suddenly his mood was disrupted by a sharp intake of breath from Harry. He looked over to see that the boy was doubled over slightly, a look of confusion on his face. 

  


"You all right, Harry?" Ron asked immediately. Hermione put her book down so fast the movement was almost a blur. 

  


"Yeah," Harry said as he straightened. "I just got a twinge there. It hurt a little is all." 

  


Hermione stood up. "What do you mean a twinge? Where? Was this the first one?" 

  


Harry looked up at her. "A twinge, that's all. Lily's kicking or something. And yes, it's the first one." 

  


"Harry, what if you're..." 

  


"I'm not in labor, Hermione. I've still got a week to go. I told you it was just a..." Harry wasn't able to finish his sentence, for just then a searing pain cut through his stomach. Harry doubled over and would have dropped to the floor had Ron and Hermione not moved so quickly to catch him. 

  


"What the hell was that?" Ron asked in bewilderment. 

  


Harry was in too much pain to even attempt to answer. His guts felt like they were being rearranged within his body. Panic hit him when he realized that there might be something wrong with Lily. He struggled to stand up, finally managing to do so with Ron and Hermione's help. 

  


Colin rushed to them, already bringing the camera up to his face. 

  


"Take one picture and die," Ron said. 

  


Colin slowly put the camera down. "But Ron..." he said half-heartedly in protest. 

  


"I think he's in labor," Hermione said as she clutched at Harry's arm, trying desperately to help keep him upright. 

  


"But doesn't it usually progress a little more slowly? Mum's did with Ginny," Ron said, now completely ignoring Colin. 

  


It was at this moment that Draco decided to make his presence known. He stood up and said, "This is a magical, unnatural pregnancy, Weasley. Of course it's not going to progress normally." 

  


Harry started to straighten, his breathing evening out, when another contraction hit, this one more powerful than the first. This time neither Ron nor Hermione could hold him up, he bent over so violently. As his knees hit the floor, he took Hermione down with him. 

  


Draco looked on in semi-amusement at the scene before him. These three would never get the boy to the infirmary at this rate. He made a noise of disgust and stood up. 

  


"Stand back Granger. I'll take care of this." 

  


Hermione gave him a searching look and then relented. She stood up and moved away from Harry, who was moaning piteously and clutching his stomach. 

  


Draco brandished his wand and used both a levitating spell to get Harry to the infirmary quickly and a silencing spell so that he couldn't attract too much attention to himself with his loud moans. 

  


When they arrived at the infirmary, both spells were ended and Harry was laid gently on a bed. Madam Pomfrey rushed over instantly, fussing and touching and poking with almost maternal concern. 

  


After a few seconds, she announced loudly, "He's in labor!"

  


It didn't take long for the news to spread to all of Hogwarts, and soon Harry was surrounded by Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, Hagrid and Pomfrey, all of them except the medi-witch hovering just out of reach. Draco had since moved to a corner, where he was watching the proceedings with interest.

  


Harry was making noises of pain that Draco had never heard come from a living being before. He winced as he saw Harry take Ron's hand and grip it so tightly that Weasley almost sank to the ground. He looked up to the skies and thanked every possible god up there that this had not happened to him. 

  


"You can't push yet, Potter, your body's not ready yet," Madam Pomfrey was saying sternly, interrupting Draco's thoughts.

  


"But I'm dying!" Harry wailed. 

  


"No you're not child, you just need to breathe," she countered in her most reasonable voice. 

  


"Never...never again. Stupid, bloody potion..." Harry managed to say before his voice dissolved into a low moan. 

  


Draco looked around and thought that this was probably a good time to make his exit. Harry had the most important people in his life here, he was no longer needed. And with that thought, he quickly turned around and left. Even out in the hall, he could hear Potter screeching about the pain.

  


The last thing he heard from the room before he rounded a corner was Harry's voice yelling, "I...hate...to sound...like a stereo-typical woman...but get this baby out of me...NOW!" The last word was a full-fledged scream.

  


Draco chuckled slightly and continued on his way, more thankful than ever that it wasn't he who had screwed up a potion so badly.

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Draco was surprised to hear that Harry wanted to see him so soon after the birth of his child. He figured that he wouldn't be seeing the other boy for a few days, at least until he'd left the infirmary and was back in the dorms. He never expected that he would be called in to see him the day _after_ he had given birth. 

  


Feeling a little uneasy, he walked into the infirmary and walked straight to Harry's bed. It was hard to miss, what with all the flowers and cards and streamers surrounding it. And there, in the midst of it all, lay Harry, propped up on pillows, looking disheveled and tired, holding a very tiny little baby. 

  


Draco sat down on the chair next to the bed and waited. 

  


"Thanks for coming, Malfoy," Harry said. 

  


"Of course," Draco said with a nod. 

  


Harry looked down at the child that he held so carefully in his arms. "Lily, I want you to meet Draco. This is the person that saved our lives. We owe him more than we can ever repay him." At these last words, Harry looked up and met Draco's eyes, and the sincerity in them was almost overwhelming. 

  


Draco did not miss the fact that Harry had called him by his first name, but he chose to say nothing. Instead he looked down at the baby with her dark messy hair and bright green eyes that looked up at her father so inquisitively, and smiled. "It's a pleasure, Lily." 

  


He looked up at Harry. "She's beautiful, Harry." And he meant it. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. 

  


"Thanks. I just can't believe she's here. After all that time, she's finally here with me. I finally have a family."

  


Draco didn't say anything, he merely listened as Harry continued to speak. "And she'll never, ever know what it's like to feel unwanted or unloved. Ever." 

  


Draco was surprised. Harry had spoken that sentence with the intensity of someone who had had a really shitty childhood. Although he was curious, he knew now was not the time to question Harry about it. He stowed that question away into the recesses of his brain for later. 

  


He stayed for a little while longer, until Lily started to fuss and Madam Pomfrey bustled in with a baby bottle and cries of "feeding time". Harry rolled his eyes slightly as he accepted the bottle and wiggled it into Lily's mouth. 

  


Draco rolled his eyes in sympathy and excused himself with a smile. 

  


He left the infirmary with no particular destination in mind. He knew that he wasn't ready to go to his next class (that his concentration would be almost nil) and that he wasn't ready to head to the common room. 

  


So instead he wandered. He wandered through the great stone corridors of Hogwarts and then eventually onto its splendid grounds. 

  


After about an hour of this, he found himself at the edge of the lake, looking out at the rippling, blue waters. He was quite alone, with most of the other students in their classes, which is exactly how he wanted it. He stood very close to the water's edge and sighed as he thought about his life and the amazing twists and turns it had taken recently. 

  


It was then that a slight rustling sound from behind him alerted him to another person's presence. 

  


Senses on high alert, he whirled around to see a very familiar figure standing not more than five feet in front of him. 

  


"What are you doing here? How did you get past the wards?" Draco asked, his voice trembling slightly. 

  


"Draco. Is that any way to greet your father?"Lucius asked. 

  


Draco didn't bother to try to answer; running on pure instinct, he lifted his wand in an effort to protect himself. Unfortunately, his father was quicker. He always had been. 

  


He heard his father yell out _Stupefy_ and then he knew no more. 

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Draco awoke some time later to find himself in a small, dark room made of stone. What little light there was came from flickering torches set into the walls. The torches offered no warmth however, and Draco shivered intensely from the cold dampness of the place. 

  


He was in a standing position, held upright by chains that encircled his wrists and attached to the stone ceiling overhead. His arms ached horribly and he straightened to take the pressure off of them. 

  


He looked around his prison (for that's what it unmistakably was) and felt the fear blossom within his chest. It sat there, heavy and solid, making it hard to breathe and making rational thought all but impossible.

  


In truth there was only one sentence running through his brain, over and over again, like a sick mantra. 

  


_My father is angry. _

_My father is angry._

  


_My father is angry. _

  


By the time his father walked into the room, Draco was almost beside himself with fear. He swallowed heavily and tried to slow down his breathing. It was never wise to show too much weakness in front of his father. 

  


"Well Draco. You're finally awake," Lucius said coldly by way of greeting. 

  


Draco looked at him and mustered enough courage to speak. "Father," he said simply. 

  


"No, Draco, you have lost the right to call me that. You are no longer my son." 

  


"Father, please..." Draco began. 

  


"You betrayed me, Draco!" Lucius shouted, and in the small chamber, his voice thundered. "You betrayed me! How could you?" 

  


"I did the right thing, father. The only right thing that I've ever done in my life. And I don't regret it. If I had to do it again, I would, " Draco yelled; feeling suddenly, inexplicably angry. 

  


Lucius moved so quickly that Draco didn't even have time to prepare for the blow. His head rocked back from the force of it, and for a moment Draco was afraid that his father had broken his jaw or something. He didn't know that the man could hit so hard without his cane. He tasted blood on his lips and knew that they had been split open. He turned his head back to his father and opened his mouth to speak. 

  


"Quiet. Not another word," Lucius commanded, and Draco closed his mouth slowly. "You disgust me Draco. Our Lord has allowed me to deal with you myself but truthfully I can't even bear to be in your presence.

  


You will know the price of betrayal, and by the time this is all over, you will be begging me to die. And then, only then, perhaps I shall grant you that wish." 

  


Draco stared after his father, shocked. He hadn't even given him a chance to try and explain. He knew his father would be angry, but he had never allowed himself to believe that he would go this far. Could he mean it? Would he really kill him?

  


Lucius took a moment to stare at his son with a mixture of contempt and disappointment, then he said, "Your punishment begins now."

  


With that he turned on his heel and walked out of the room, his robes billowing behind him.

  


Almost as soon as his father left, another man entered. He was a death eater, complete with a hood and mask that conveniently hid his identity. 

  


The mask stared at him dispassionately. "Your father has asked me to punish you. Apparently you have been a very bad boy, Draco." 

  


Draco watched as the man lifted his wand slowly and pointed it at him. He tried to steel himself for whatever was to come. 

  


And then the man yelled, "Crucio!"

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


Draco lay on the rough floor in the stone cell - the man that had tortured him had left him some time ago and he had been mercifully released from the chains that held him. His breathing was heavy and labored, his muscles seizing involuntarily every few seconds. Blood still flowed from his mouth where he had bitten through his tongue in his intense agony.

  


Through his haze of misery, Draco heard a door opening and the sound of footsteps coming towards him. He groaned as he turned his head to see who was approaching him. 

  


As the figure came into view, he could see that it was Lucius. His father's face was grim as he bent down towards him. "Have you had enough? Will you beg me to die?" 

  


Draco's throat was sore from screaming, but he still managed to answer, even if his voice was only a small croak. "Go to hell. Father." 

  


Draco expected to be struck for his insolence, but nothing happened. Instead his father seemed a bit amused by his answer. He smiled coldly and said, "Till tomorrow then," then stood up and left. 

  


Draco closed his eyes and tried to quell the fear in his heart. The fear, however, was not going anywhere. 

  


How was he supposed to survive another day like today? He wasn't brave like Potter. How could he possibly get through another session of torture? How could his father do this to him? 

  


These thoughts swirled anxiously in his mind until his exhausted body could take no more and he fell into an uneasy sleep.

  


The next time he woke up, he was vertical again; chained to the ceiling by his wrists in exactly the same manner as the previous day. 

  


A death eater was already in the cell with him, looking at him with eager eyes. 

  


"Finally, I thought you'd never wake," he said.

  


"So sorry to have inconvenienced you," Draco said in his best sarcastic voice. 

  


The anonymous figure seemed amused by this and gave a quiet chuckle. Then it brandished a staff that looked unnervingly like his father's. Draco instinctively tried to move away, pulling at the chains in frustration and fear. The first blow from the staff landed on his upraised arm. The second on his upper back, the third on his leg. By the time the fifth blow landed, his was biting his lip to keep from screaming. By the tenth, he was pleading with the death eater to stop between screams. By the fourteenth, all he could do was sob.

  


Soon after that, he mercifully lost consciousness. 

  


He awoke to the sensation of someone standing over him and he realized that he was on the floor again. He opened his eyes with great effort and used all his strength to focus. He was not exactly surprised to find his father staring down at him. 

  


"Are you ready to beg me to die?" Lucius asked.

  


Well, leave it to his father to cut straight to the chase. 

  


Draco swallowed thickly and whispered, "No." Gods, but it hurt just to speak that one word. 

  


"Why? Why would you want to put yourself through the pain, Draco, when you know you will die eventually?" Lucius asked. Then, as an idea came into his head, he opened his eyes wide. "You're waiting for Harry Potter to come save you."

  


Draco was about to deny it, but then he stopped himself. Is that what he was doing? Was he waiting for Potter to rescue him? With a slight gasp, he realized that he was. That this was the reason he was holding out. He swallowed again, forcing himself to talk despite the pain in his throat. "Potter will come for me," he rasped. 

  


"Nonsense. You are nothing to that boy. You who tormented him for the past three years? Why would he care about you?" Lucius said in a scathing voice.

  


"I...I saved..." Draco began.

  


"Oh yes. You saved his life and that of his child. But just think Draco, would Potter endanger his life for yours; now that he has a child? Would he really risk dying and leaving his child an orphan as he himself was left an orphan...for you? Oh he might do it for his friends, the people that he truly loves. But you Draco," he said and at this he leaned in very close, "are nothing to him." 

  


His father's words cut Draco to his very soul, because as much as a part of him believed that Harry would come for him, another, smaller part of him believed that Harry couldn't possibly care less about him. That no one really cared about him and that he would be left here to rot. 

  


He let out a sob at the thought of dying here; in pain and alone. 

  


Lucius sneered and drew even closer. For one brief moment, Draco thought he was going to comfort him in some way, but of course he wasn't. 

  


"Crying, are you? Is the truth a bit much for you, Draco? Well, don't worry boy. This will all be over soon. You can't possibly last much longer. You look like hell already." 

  


His father tapped him lightly on his cheek with his open palm and then left the room, once more leaving Draco alone. 

  


Draco placed a trembling hand on the cheek that his father had just touched and he wept. 

The third day of torture was pretty much the same as the previous two. He awoke to find himself tied to the ceiling by means of cold chains. Then a death eater came into the room. Then came the pain. 

  


This time around, his torturer stuck with Crucio and other forms of wizard torture. By the time the man was finished with him and he was lowered to the floor, Draco knew that his father had been right. He wouldn't last much longer. His head pounded mercilessly as a sudden rush of nausea lurched through his body. He turned his head just in time to vomit violently on the floor. Not that there was much for his body to throw up; he hadn't really been fed since he'd been brought here. 

  


_Perhaps I will beg my father to kill me_, he thought as he finally lost consciousness. 

  


When he next awoke, it was to sound of his name being whispered into his ear. 

  


"Malfoy..." 

  


Oh that voice was so familiar. So blessedly familiar. He tried to open his eyes but they felt as if they had been glued shut.

  


"Malfoy, come on. Wake up."

  


The voice was insistent and Draco felt the need to try to do what it said. He groaned and with what seemed an almost super-human effort, slowly opened his eyes. His heart leapt wildly in his chest when he realized that he was right; that kneeling next to him was the famous Harry Potter, hero-extraordinaire and all-around golden boy. He'd never been so happy to see someone in his entire life. 

  


"Potter," he gasped, "...took you s' long?" 

  


"Malfoy?" 

"Hmmm?"

  


"Shut up," Harry said. 

  


"Ok," Draco said and sighed wearily. That small bit of talking had just used up the last of his strength and he found that his eyes were closing again. 

  


Harry placed a warm hand on Draco's forehead and brushed aside his damp, dirty hair. "Can you walk?" he asked. 

  


Draco wanted to sound courageous and say that he could, but the truth was he could barely move. Hell he could barely even talk. Draco shook his head slightly and managed to mutter something that sounded like no. 

  


"All right then. Hang on to me, ok?" Harry asked. Draco nodded then realized his mistake. The nausea was back. "Sick..." he mumbled. 

  


"You're going to be sick?" Harry asked. 

  


Draco would have at least attempted to answer, but just at that moment, his stomach twisted. He felt himself being pulled up to a sitting position and being turned slightly to the right and then he was retching all over the stone floor.

  


The episode didn't last long, there was now literally nothing but bile in his stomach, and when he was done he slumped back in Harry's arms heavily. 

  


He gasped for breath, dimly noting that his heart was beating much too fast and that it was much too difficult to get air into his lungs. 

  


_Damn, this can't be good, can it? Am I dying or something?_

  


"Malfoy!" Harry yelled, interrupting his thoughts. "Stay with me!" 

  


_That's easier said than done, Potter._

  


Had he said that out loud? He hoped so, he didn't want to go like a wimp. If this was his time to die, he wanted to go being sarcastic and witty. 

  


But if he had indeed managed to say it out loud, then Harry was ignoring him. He was still yelling, except now he was saying, "They're coming. Oh no, they're coming! Malfoy, you have to hang on to me!" 

  


There was a note of fear in Harry's voice now. It was that fear more than anything that Draco finally responded to. He raised his head a little, just in time to see that Harry was lifting him from the floor. Using what felt like his last bit of strength, Draco placed his arms around Harry's neck and held on. 

  


At just that moment, the door to the room opened. Draco knew that his father was coming to see if he would choose to die. 

  


His arms tightened reflexively around Harry and he whispered, "Get me out...here."

  


Harry nodded just as Lucius walked through the door. He caught a glimpse of Lucius' pale face constricting in anger, his hand automatically raising his wand... 

  


And then they were gone. 

  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Draco woke quickly, his senses coming to full alert almost instantly. Too many years of living with his father had taught him that particular little trick. He relaxed when he saw that he was in the Hogwart's infirmary. Then he noticed who was sitting at his bedside. 

  


"Potter. Granger," he said. 

  


Harry and Hermione stopped whispering to each other when they heard their names being spoken. They both turned towards him with near-identical looks of concern on their faces. 

  


"Malfoy, how are you feeling?" Hermione asked. 

  


He thought about that and silently took inventory. His entire body ached. His head was throbbing. He felt exhausted and worn as well as a little nauseous. "As well as can be expected when one is tortured for three days straight," he finally said, his voice made rough from too many days spent screaming. 

  


Harry frowned. "Yeah, I'm so sorry. I would have come sooner, but it wasn't all that easy tracking you down. When I saw you I thought I was too late." 

  


Draco looked down at the sheets and mumbled something. 

  


"What was that? I didn't quite catch..."

  


Draco raised his head. "I wasn't sure if you would come." 

  


Harry looked shocked. "Of course I was going to come. Do you think I'd leave you there?"

  


Draco didn't answer. He didn't want to admit that he had thought he was as good as dead. He didn't want to think about how he had wept when he thought that he would die alone. He didn't want to remember the feeling of elation and relief when he realized that Harry had come for him. So instead he said, "My father..." 

  


"Oh yes, him. He escaped again. By the time the Aurors finally got there, he was long gone." Seeing the pained look on Draco's face, Harry quickly added, "But don't worry too much. They have a pretty good idea of where he is. They expect to capture him within the next few days." 

  


"Why didn't the Aurors just come with you? Why even give him the chance to get away?" Draco asked.

  


Harry grimaced, then looked to Hermione. She gave a quick nod but stayed silent. "Ah well...you know how these things go..." he said evasively. 

  


Draco was about to say that 'no he didn't know how these things went', but Harry was already standing up and walking towards the exit. "I have to go Draco. Lily's missing me, I'm sure. I'll be back tomorrow, all right?" 

  


Draco watched him go, then turned towards Hermione with a look of confusion on his face. 

  


"What was that all about?" he asked.

  


"I don't think he wants you to know," she said. 

  


"Know what?" Draco asked. "About the Aurors? What happened with them?" 

  


Hermione sighed and took the seat that Harry had vacated, the one closest to Draco. "He doesn't want you to know," she repeated.

  


"Why not? Don't I deserve to?" 

  


"I think so but..." 

  


"Come on Granger. Tell me." 

  


Draco could see Hermione struggling with the decision of whether to tell him or not. Finally she said, "All right, but if you say anything to him Malfoy, I swear..." 

  


"I won't, Granger. If there's one thing I know how to do is keep a secret." He didn't bother to add that he was good at keeping secrets only when he wanted to. 

  


Hermione sighed wearily. "Harry knew where you were on the second day. He told the Ministry, expecting them to send Aurors to get you out right away. But they didn't. They felt they needed further proof that you were really being held there against your will and that you hadn't gone back to join your father." 

  


Draco stared at her. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. All that time he was suffering while the Ministry took their time deciding if he was fit to rescue?

  


"Harry got sick of waiting. He left me a note saying to take care of Lily. Then he went in alone. He apparated in, found you and disapparated back here."

  


Draco shook his head. He felt like he was in a dream; surrounded by fog that was making everything seem so surreal. "He's not old enough to..."

  


"He's also Harry Potter," Hermione said. 

  


"He risked his life for me," he said as he shook his head to clear the fog; to try to understand. "They would have left me there to die, but he came for me. Even with Lily, he came for me." 

  


"Yes," Hermione said simply. 

  


"Is this what it's like? To have friends?" he asked suddenly. He was aware that the question was silly, but he really needed to know. He needed to understand why he was feeling warm and safe and grateful.

  


Hermione placed her hand atop his and nodded. "Yes." 

  


Draco breathed in deeply, enjoying the feel of her skin on his. "It's nice."

  


Hermione smiled. "Yes."

  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
